Yonggye Seowon

About this place

Founded as a seowon in 1701 (the 27th year of King Sukjong) from the local sages' shrine (Hyanghyeonsa), it first enshrined Gwangok Choe Seo-rim, then added Donggok Kim Jeong-ho and Baekgye Eun Jeong-hwa in 1750 (the 26th year of King Yeongjo), and Ocheon Han Baek-yu, Ansikwa Kim Seup, and Yu Jong-heung in 1757 (the 33rd year of King Yeongjo). It was demolished in 1868 (the 5th year of King Gojong) by government order, but rebuilt in 1910. The principal figure enshrined, Choe Seo-rim, was a disciple of the Joseon Confucian scholar Sin Dok-jae Kim Jip (1574-1656) who passed the lower civil examination (jinsa) in 1662 (the 3rd year of King Sukjong) but refused to pursue an official career, instead devoting himself to the education of future scholars. In 1694 (the 20th year of King Sukjong), he was appointed as the tomb keeper for the royal mausoleum but declined to take up the position.